Second Trimester!

Yahoo! We are now in our second trimester! Bring on the energy and overall good feeling-ness! :) So far at 14 weeks pregnant I have noticed that I am really starting to show. I discovered this when I went to put on my work pants and found they were threatening to pop the button right off. It sounds like I need to either invest in some maternity pants, or get a belly band that holds up unbuttoned pants while providing support for the ever growing tummy. I'm not going to lie, I love feeling my belly now. It's getting firmer and rounder all the time and I love knowing that there is a little one in there just waiting to meet us!

(Warning! TMI ahead!) Another things that is threatening to burst is my bra! Geeze louise! I thought my ladies were out of control before, now I feel like I'm drowning in a boob ocean! I'm going to have to go and get my measurements done so I can get some good boobage support. I guess the one good thing is that they will finally be useful for something instead of just being a pain in the neck. I truly hope that I will be able to breastfeed, otherwise I will have to conclude that God has an odd sense of humour.

One thing I'm glad to announce is that my appetite has returned and  I am even starting to have cravings. The other day we were driving past Taco Bell (I know, I know...) and all of a sudden "CHEESE SAUCE!" popped into my head. For the next few days, all I wanted was what Chris' sister refers to as 'pump cheese'. Mmmm... When we went grocery shopping the other day, I saw that Cheez Whiz was on sale. I jumped up and down, asking Chris if I could get it. I was so sure he'd say no, but to my surprise he said, "Look in the cart", and there sat a lovely jar of processed cheese sauce. I totally started crying in the middle of aisle 4.

Another craving I'm having is for sushi...which *sigh* I can't really have. I have had so many dreams of sushi and maki rolls dipped in soya sauce. I think I'm going to go and just get a big plate full of california rolls, as they don't contain raw fish, but have yummy rice, cucumber, carrot, avocado and imitation crab meat. Yum!! To ensure this baby loves sushi, I want to buy it the Melissa and Doug Wooden Sushi Set. It is super cute! It even comes with chopsticks! :D

Little Muppet is now the size of a navel orange or the size of a fist! The baby can now frown, grimace, squint and pee! It can even hold it's head up from it's little chest. Apparently it's face is also starting to look more human then alien, as it's eyes are now closer together on the front of it's face and it's ears are on the side of it's head instead of on it's neck. I wonder who it will resemble more, Chris or me? I hope it has it's Daddy's eyes. :)

Bump watch! As I said before, my belly is really starting to show. Now that the uterus has moved into the abdomen, you can actually feel it above the pelvic bone! I'm supposed to start gaining weight on my hips, sides and legs (I hope not, as they are big enough now, thank-you-very-much!).

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http://www.melissaanddoug.com/

Week 12 and 13 Are A Nosy Affair

I'm a little late posting for week 12, so I'm going to combine week 12 and the beginning of week 13.

 As of week 12,  my nausea has started to subside a bit, but my battle with congestion has now become Nose War 3. Word on the street is that 20-30% of pregnant women experience Pregnancy Rhinitis. PR, as I like to call it, happens because while pregnant, your nasal passages can become swollen and irritated causing you to experience symptoms like congestion, nasal itchiness, coughing and sneezing. I also have noticed an increase in mucus, so I've tried cutting back on my dairy as that apparently can make mucus even worse! I cannot believe how bad my sinuses are! I have never been one to rave about my sinuses, as I always felt they could pick up the slack a little. I can't remember a time that sleeping on my back resulted in me feeling like I was drowning from post nasal drip...mmm....yuck! But this is ridiculous! I have had many nights where I either can't get to sleep because I can only exhale, not inhale through my nose, or I have woken up around 3am because my nose totally became blocked up! The last few nights I have either tried sleeping with my mouth open (which I can't do because I either drool all over myself, or I fear spiders crawling into that wide open space and choking on them in my sleep), or sleeping in the sitting position, which is horrible for my sciatic nerve. I should mention that it too has decided to join the side of the nose in this body war. I have had 6 days in a row of bilateral sciatic pain ( I should mention I have experienced sciatic pain often before getting pregnant too...just not this frequently), and it is now leaving my back in constant dull pain mode.

To help with my nose issues, I've invested in a Neti Pot, which is a small pot that helps clear your nasal passages. It uses a saline solution that flows through your nose using the power of gravity. Apparently the Neti Pot was originally used in yoga to assist with proper breathing techniques. I had heard many good things about the Neti Pot, so I decided to try it. My first experience with it wasn't so...zen, as having something pour in one nostril and come out the other side is a little unsettling to say the least. I am pretty sure I swallowed a ton of that water. After I got the hang of it, it was actually kind of fun.

Besides the Neti Pot, I went and purchased hydraSense for congested folk. It helps by shooting a stream of 100% natural source seawater into your nose to clear out mucus and allergens. Again, yum! The thing I really like about hydraSense is that it is really easy to use, and is so natural you can use it anytime without risking it becoming a habit, like with medicated decongestants.  http://www.hydrasense.ca/en/. So far, the combo of the two is helping me breathe a little easier at night, though I do keep myself propped up a little with an extra pillow, just in case.

With regards to my back pain, sciatica occurs when your sciatic nerve is pinched, or is irritated. The sciatic nerves are attached to spinal roots that travels down your back, through your bum all the way down your legs. That is what makes this pain such a pain in the butt. Literally. You can feel pain anywhere from your lower back, to even your foot! Mine tends to be very strong in my lower back and feels like a sharp jab that makes you hold your breath and stop all movement. I've invested in a prenatal yoga DVD and bought a pregnancy pillow to help prop my body into a better sleeping position. I know I need to stop standing for long periods of time and I need to take time just to stretch. I really hope this pain will go away soon, as there really isn't anything I can take for it, and well, I still have many more months to go.

On the plus side, my Little Muppet is now going on 13 weeks! The baby is currently about the length of a medium sized shrimp and the size of a peach and has formed fingerprints on it's little fingers and baby fuzz on it's body. It can now flex it's limbs and may even be able to put it's thumb in it's mouth! Awwww! Kawaii!

In other news, my body is starting to feel the good ol' round ligament pains when I move from one position to another too quickly. It's just a quick jab or dull ache that happens because they ligaments are stretching and thickening to accommodate the growing baby and uterus.

Here is my week 12 baby bump photo. I will post 13 later this week. :) Chris would also like me to mention that he is the photographer responsible for this photo. Chris, thank you! ;) I am starting to get some of my appetite back, though I really don't seem to want meat. I'm very happy eating fruit (especially plums, raspberries and strawberries), goldfish crackers, soup and slushies...but only orange. Today I had some chinese food, so we'll see how my body handles that.

Thank you everyone for reading and enjoying my blog! I am having a lot of fun documenting our adventures and can't wait to share it with Little Muppet!

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The Great Gender Debate!

We are still undecided on whether we will find out the sex of the baby before it's born. On one hand, it would make people's lives easier when they are being faced with things in pink and blue, and it sure would help me avoid getting attached to cute little Robeez that are decidedly very girly or very boyish. On the other hand, I really think it'd be fun to place bets and be surprised. 

It truly is a hard decision, but luckily we don't have to make it for another few weeks. Generally, gender can be determined around 18-20 weeks, if the baby cooperates. If my baby is anything like me, it'll cross it's legs and yell, "Get out!!" when the sonographer tries to check out it's little baby parts. ;)

I know that if we do find out what the baby is, we won't be anything but happy as we truly do not care if it's a little lad or a little lady. We already have the most amazing little nephew in the world, and really he is one of the reasons why we both decided it was time to have our own little one. We are so in love with that little man and are so thankful to have him in our lives. We also know we are getting a little niece soon in September, and we cannot wait to meet her! She already seems to know how to get her way (making her poor momma eat dairy when she's lactose intolerant) and keeping her up all night with her constant moving and jabbing. I think she's going to be an adorable little monkey! 

My Mother-in-Law tried an old gender predictor trick that she used to do with her siblings. The first thing you do is tie your wedding band or a sewing needle to a piece of thread. You then hold it above the expectant mother's belly or wrist. If the ring swings in full circles, that means you are having a girl, and if it swings in a pendulum motion, it means you are having a boy. According to this test, we are having a girl, then a boy, and then another girl. :) It was a lot of fun, but only time will tell if this old wives tale works or not for me. 

I know some people really want their first child to be a girl or a boy, but I can't imagine caring either way as long as it's healthy, happy and has my eyebrows. ;) 

I'd love to know other people's experiences or opinions either with finding out the sex or waiting to be surprised, as that may help us with our decision making on the subject. Also, what do YOU think we are having? A boy or a girl?

www.robeez.com 

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Our First Glimpse Of Little Muppet!

We went for our first ultrasound the other day and I can't even begin to share how amazing that experience was!

Being a first time mom, I obviously over-react to every little twinge and cramp I feel. Somedays I even wondered if I was still pregnant, I mean, when you can't see something, you start to wonder if it's even there! So going in for my ultrasound was just what the doctored ordered...literally. :)

I was instructed to drink a whole bunch of water, how much I am not really sure, but I decided that 2 bottles of water should do it. I started drinking my first bottle about a half hour before we were to leave for the hospital, which of course resulted in me needing to pee right before we went out the door. I decided to quickly top off my second bottle to make up for the water I ...uh...wasted. We got in the car, and I pulled out my second bottle and started to drink. As soon as we pulled into the parking lot at the hospital, I exclaimed to my husband, "I gotta pee!!" We checked in, and then I ran to the bathroom...*sigh* Another wasted bottle of water. I then filled up my bottle and as I filled out my paperwork, I chugged that water down like it was going out of style but on sale for 75% off. (Who can resist a deal like that?) ;)

The sonographer approached me and asked, "Do you have a full bladder?", to which I responded, "...I did...But I had to pee super bad!" Apparently she felt I was 'hydrated' enough anyways, so it was all good. :)

My husband wasn't able to go into the room with me at first, as the sonographer wanted to do all the measurements and stuff before sharing with us, so I waited until he was invited back into the room to hear whatever news she had for us. I have never been so nervous in my life! At one point, I was like, "Can she not find the baby?!" Thankfully, that was not the case. She called Chris into the room, and then showed us the most magical thing we have ever seen, our little baby! When it first came onto the screen, both of happily exclaimed, "It's a baby!" It was so adorable...yes, I am going to be one of those mothers. It was moving around, kicking it's little legs, and at one point, it's arm and hand were so clear we could count the fingers! Watching it's little heartbeat was also amazing. It fluttered around in it's chest like a little bird's. I kept apologizing to it as I laughed, as it made it jump around in my belly. I still can't believe that a little person is kicking up a storm inside me and I can't even feel it! It's so crazy, but having the ultrasound really made everything feel real for the first time. Seeing Chris' face light up as soon as he saw his Little Muppet on the screen is something I will carry with me forever.

Little Muppet is 11 weeks 6 days and is about the size of a large plum now. It is almost fully formed. Soon it's hands will form into little fists, and one day I am sure that I will feel them flailing around in my tummy. Right now, it's taking advantage of all the room I've got, and is preforming either water ballet, or some form of karate, as it is kicking and squirming all around.

Here is my belly at 11 weeks 6 days. I am definitely starting to show, though I just look like I let myself go instead of looking pregnant. I find my tummy hangs over my pants, and we all know how sexy that can be. People probably think I'm a frequent diner at McDonalds, which is totally the opposite, as I find my hunger has diminished. This little baby doesn't want me to eat, though I have to so I can push through my nausea. :P  I go about my days wearing baggier shirts and yoga pants. They hide the flab and are very comfortable.

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